Hawaiian Man Sentenced for 1982 Sunnyvale Teen Murder

Gary Ramirez, 78, was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 25 years for the 1982 rape and murder of 15-year-old Karen Stitt in Sunnyvale, California. Stitt was sexually assaulted and stabbed over 50 times after being left at a bus stop by her boyfriend, and her body was found the next morning. The case remained unsolved for decades until new DNA technology, forensic genealogy, and a community tip led to Ramirez's arrest in Hawaii in 2022. Ramirez pleaded no contest to first-degree murder. Authorities credited advances in crime lab technology and the persistence of detectives and prosecutors for the resolution of the case. Ramirez will be eligible for parole at age 103, making it likely he will spend the rest of his life in prison.